The Most Important Thing
by happyday girl
Summary: Set in season 5. The brothers and Bobby don't feel like celebrating Christmas, but Castiel is determined to prove that no matter what happens, the only thing that matters most is family. A comforting Christmas story of Love and Loss. Please R&R!


**Hi, so this is my attempt at a Christmas Fic, although it isn't a cute story, I hoped It would turn out more heart warming and thought provoking than cute, so I hope you get that!**

**Enjoy!**

The warm fire of Bobby's large house cast a welcome glow around the living room, sending shadows dancing across the faces of Bobby, Sam, Dean and Castiel.

The brothers and the angel were all sat on the sofa, Bobby sitting in his wheelchair on the other side of the room, staring into the fire with a nonchalant look on his face.

'Merry Christmas...' he muttered, not looking at the boys.

Dean gave a small smirk and shook his head. 'Yup, another year over' he replied, standing up.

'Why are you guys so unhappy?' asked Castiel, standing up as well and looking at each of the three men in turn.

'The way I see it, if this is our last year on God's great earth, and the apocalypse does defeat us-then why don't we go down in style?' he asked, blue eyes shining.

Sam shrugged, but gave a small smile to the angel. He had a point.

'Dean, you had a Christmas with Sam the year before you went to hell, well-it might be happening again, so why don't we celebrate Christmas now?' the Angel stated.

Dean blew air out of his cheeks and gave Cas a wide smile. 'Your right, but I just don't feel Christmassy at the moment...' he muttered, turning his face away.

'You just need to get in the mood-I brought presents!' Castiel smiled, before he disappeared from sight.

'What did he mean, he got presents?' Bobby asked the room at large. Feathers hardly knew anything about Christmas, or about what they wanted for Christmas...this was going to be interesting...

Moments later, Castiel was back, arms laden with three brightly wrapped presents.

'I got the lady in the shop to wrap them up, I couldn't do it by myself-didn't have enough hands...' he muttered as he put the presents on the sofa.

Sam frowned and looked down at his hands. You only needed two hands for wrapping...

'Well this is nice Cas-but we didn't get you anything' Dean sighed, eyes shining with the prospect of presents.

'that's ok, I don't need anything material to make me happy-it's joy enough to see your faces' Cas said, with no hint of humour.

'Oh, ok...' Dean said, giving the back of Castiel's head a look, before he approached the sofa and picked up his present.

Sam sighed and did the same; picking up Bobby's as well, giving the older hunter his gift. Bobby took it, a curious look on his face as he brought it to his ear and shook it.

'Open them!' Cas smiled, sitting down and looking expectantly on the hunters before him.

Sam smiled and ripped the paper off the present. He smiled down at what he got. It was a large, glass picture frame, with a red frame with little black roses dotted around.

The picture in the middle made his heart leap and his eyes well up. It was one of the first professional pictures that he and Jess had got done, when they were first together.

Sam was dressed in an uncomfortable black suit, a long tie falling past his stomach. Jessica looked gorgeous in a flowing red dress, a black velvet belt clinching in her small waist. She had the biggest smile on her face, and Sam smiled down at her, running a finger along her face.

A happy tear ran down his cheek, and he sniffed and rubbed his eyes before looking back at Cas.

'Thanks man...' he sniffled, sincerely meaning every word. 'This is great'

'Your welcome. She always loved you, right to the very end-and she still does, one day you will be reunited. She's proud of you Sam, know that' Castiel said, smiling at the young man as he sat back down, staring at the picture again.

Dean's heart lifted when he saw Sam, and now his brother was happy-he was too. This was a great idea.

'Dean, do you want to go next?' Castiel asked, nodding at Dean's surprisingly small parcel.

'Yeah ok, can't wait to see what it is...' Dean said, tearing off the paper.

His present fell into his hands, and he gave a small gasp of surprise and happiness.

'Oh wow...' he muttered happily, looking at Sam, who gave him a smile back.

He held in his hands the necklace he had been given by Sammy when he was a kid; the black ornamental skull looked as good as new. He ran a hand down its face. This was the best present he had ever had, he was glad to see it back.

He grinned as he put it around his neck, raising his eyes at Sam as if to ask 'look good?'

Sam nodded and grinned back, looking at his old present around his brother's neck once more, where it always should be.

'Thanks dude-this is the best!' Dean smiled at the angel, whose blue eyes shone back.

'Your welcome Dean- I knew it was wrong of me to take it from you, but I thought I needed it.

When I heard you threw it in the bin after I gave it back, I felt very guilty...I didn't like the feeling. I went back to the motel room and got it out, and have been looking for an opportunity to give it back- I felt this was a good a time as any' he said seriously, cocking his head to the side as he saw the necklace bounce on Dean's chest.

'Thanks man...' he said, before looking Sam. 'Thanks again dude!' he smiled, winking at him.

'Can I open mine yet?' the three men looked round to see Bobby, looking impatient in his wheelchair as he held his own present.

'Of course Bobby-you didn't need to ask!' Castiel smiled; a slightly confused look on his face.

'Great...' Bobby smiled, eagerly ripping off the paper. He hadn't had a Christmas in years, never had time for one...if this was the last one, he wanted it to be good.

He smiled and choked back the tears as he looked at his own picture frame, a rough brown wooden frame encompassing the large picture in the middle.

The picture was of Bobby's living room, and it held a group of people, all giving different looks at the camera. It was the picture that he had insisted had to be taken...the last picture of Jo and Ellen before they died.

Castiel was the first to the left, a proud, heroic looking look on his face; although Bobby guessed he didn't really know how to look when you had your picture taken.

Sam had a confused look on his face, eyebrows dipped as he stared at the camera, probably wondering why the hell the picture was being taken in the first.

Bobby smiled as he looked at his brother's face; Dean looked like he was auditioning for America's Next Top Model. His mouth pouted and his eyes slanted, one arm around Sam, the other around Jo, who was huddled next to him.

Jo had a slightly scared, but an ultimately 'give em hell' look on her face, staring sideways on at the camera, a slight smile on her face.

Bobby smiled sadly down at her, his eyes crossing to her mother, who was stood in the middle of the group. Ellen looked for all the world the matriarch she always was, a determined but motherly smile dominating her beautiful features. She looked straight at the camera, one hand holding onto one side of Bobby's wheelchair.

The man himself barked out a laugh as he looked at himself-he wasn't even looking at the camera.

'Looks like there was something more interesting than the camera to look at that day!' he smiled, looking up at the brother's and their angel with happy tears in his eyes.

'Thanks feathers, this is one swell present...' he muttered, looking straight in the angel's eyes.

'Your welcome Bobby-don't ever forget who you've loved and lost, it will make you a stronger and better person. Remember, no one is every truly gone, as long as you keep them in your hearts' he said, looking from one man to the other.

Dean smiled and nodded, turning his head to rub his eyes.

Sam smiled at his brother, before looking back down at his own picture, feeling comforted and warmed by Castiel's words.

'I also have a picture for both Sam and Dean-'Castiel said, clearing his throat as he disappeared one last time.

'What's he getting now?' Sam asked his brother, who was fiddling with his necklace.

'Beats me' Dean muttered, sighing with happiness.

Moments later the angel reappeared, clutching hold of one last present.

'Perhaps you should open this together...' he suggested, looking from one brother to the other.

'Yeah, like cutting a cake together at a wedding-come on Sammy, you get one side and I'll get the other!' Dean grinned, taking hold of one side of the gift.

Together they unwrapped it and smiled down at the picture they had received.

It was a large, colour photograph of Mary and John, the picture encircled by a simple grey frame.

Mary had John's leather Jacket on, huddling into her husband as they both smiled at the camera.

John seemed to be holding the camera, for his head was slightly cut off by the photo. He had a huge, happy smile on his face, his arms pulling Mary close; his wife had her head tucked into John's neck, and she snuggled happily, he blonde hair falling into her eyes.

'They look so happy...' Sam mused, feeling tears well up again.

Dean sniffed and cleared his throat before pulling his brother close. 'They always were...' he smiled, nudging his brother's waist with his own, grinning down at the picture.

'Your parents were so in love that John would do anything to get her back- even if it meant losing his own life. They're together again now, and they will be for eternity. They are so proud of their boys-they want you to know that they think you are doing the right thing' Castiel smiled.

'Wait, you talked to them?' Dean said, looking at the angel with surprise.

'Not me personally, but I know someone who can...' Castiel said with a knowing smile.

'That's amazing...' Sam said, still looking back at the picture, a tear of longing and happiness hitting the glass.

'It's ok Sammy, don't cry, it'll be ok...' Dean said softly, chucking Sam's chin with a grin and wink.

'Yeah, I know...' Sam muttered, coughing and wiping his eyes.

'This has been the best Christmas ever Cas-we can't ever thank you enough for this!' he said, smiling at the Angel, who grinned back.

'My pleasure-you guys are always so morose and said. Dean made me watch a film, but I forget the name...there was a part in it that I found heart warming, even though it was about a mummy coming back to life and killing everyone-'

Dean snorted as he recognised what film Cas was on about. The film was 'The Mummy'

'The woman in the film read from the wall, and the last thing she said was '_Death is only the beginning.'_ He said, looking down at all the pictures, knowing the statement could never have been truer than now.

'The woman was right-just because someone is gone doesn't mean they're not there any more. They're always there, with you, just not in a way you can see them.'

'Yeah...can we lay off the chick flick moment?' Bobby butted in, smiling at the angel.

Castiel smiled, knowing Bobby wasn't the type of man for this kind of talk.

'Ok, but remember-whatever happens, everyone you have ever loved and lost...they will be waiting for you-remember that' he said, looking at each man in turn.

Sam smiled at the angel, appreciating his words. Dean grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, before casting another look at the picture of his parents...maybe Cas was right...

'Thanks Cas...you gave us the best Christmas ever!' Sam smiled, putting a hand on the angel's shoulder.

'My pleasure Sam, I hope I gave you comfort in these troubling times' Castiel smiled.

'You sure did dude...thanks...' Dean nodded.

'Your welcome Dean-I must now go, my search for a way out of this apocalypse is still ongoing-have a good Christmas' he smiled, before disappearing before their very eyes.

'That was nice of him' Bobby stated, before wheeling out into the kitchen.

Sam looked at his brother and smiled. Dean was still staring down at the picture of their parents, a happy smile on his face.

Suddenly Bobby wheeled back into the room. He was holding three glasses and a bottle of some sort.

'Ok fellas-who's for Eggnog?' he asked, the Christmassy feeling bubbling inside him.

This was going to be a day to remember.

**I hope you enjoyed this, I thought the Boy's and Bobby needed a little lifting around season 5 Christmas time, so I thought past memories might help!**

**Thank you for reading, and please review-I would love your thoughts on this!**


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